Mantras for HEALTHY weight loss
DISCIPLINE IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS SUCCESS:
Self-discipline is a pattern of behavior where you choose to do what you know you should do, rather than what you want to do. It’s the inner power that pushes you to get out of bed to exercise rather than sleeping in. When you are consistent in doing the things you know you should do, when you know you should do them, here are the benefits you will enjoy:
You will achieve your goals. When you are consistent in doing the things you know you should do, your odds of achieving your goals will be dramatically increased. You self-esteem will soar. Every time you push yourself to do something you know you should do, you are building your self-esteem. People’s respect for you will grow. This includes everyone from your spouse to your employer who witnesses your efforts.
You will influence the lives of others. Every good and right thing you do, influences the lives of those who are watching and can have a ripple effect on future generations.You will see greater success in all areas of your life. Always remember, for every disciplined effort there is a multiple return. Think about it. You will enjoy a more rewarding and satisfying life.
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SET YOUR TARGET:
This approach will allow you to get adjusted with your new routine as well. As your progress further & see the results with these small targets, automatically you feel confident & can revise your target to achieve more. Now, interesting part is: how to set your target. For example, you weight is 60 kgs, height is 158 cm & age is 28 years. In this example your BMR should be 1400 KCAL. If currently you are doing intensive exercise for at least 20 minutes 1 to 3 times per week then a rough estimate of the number of calories required per day based on your current activity level 1925 kcal/day.
Based on this activity level, after subtracting 500 calories your new target (calories/day) would be 1425 which should result in roughly 500 gms of weight loss per week. Definitely if you increase your activity levels then you can expect more weight loss per week.
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NUMBER OF SERVINGS PER DAY:
It is essential to realize that not eating will only reduce your metabolism which will in turn hinder the process of losing weight. Instead eat 5-6 small meals a day which will keep your digestive system running thus it’ll keep burning calories. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you must not skip it. You’’ notice the days you skip breakfast you will tend to be more hungry all day. Make sure your breakfast is rich in insoluble fibers since they contain almost zero calories.
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UNDERSTANDING PORTION SIZE:
Let’s do the math here. Say you’re asked to leave 25% of your food on the plate and just eat the rest. You need 2000 calories a day which means you’ll be leaving around 500 the whole day. Now instead of leaving the food, serve yourself in a smaller plate. That way you can eat everything on your plate and you needn’t worry about leaving a certain amount. This way you won’t even realise when you burn those 500 calories! Same way, you can set your target weight loss of calories per day and work your way accordingly.
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WATCH OUT YOUR DRINK:
Diet sodas and fizzy drinks are filled with calories – even though their advertisements state otherwise. When you drink diet soda’s which contain artificial sweeteners these trick our body to think that we haven’t consumed too many calories which in turn makes us eat more, thus consuming more calories than we already do. Similarly when you drink cup after cup of tea or coffee in the work place you’re drinking more calories than you can even comprehend. Thus it’s better to drink water or green tea to keep your mouth busy and to ward off unnecessary calories.
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START READING NUTRITION LABELS:
Not only diet soda’s, you must make sure you read and understand the nutrition labels of all processed products properly. It is essential to know what is going into your body and the subsequent effect it will have. Just because the cover might say its fat free doesn’t make it totally true, you must read the nutrition label at the back and know what all the product really contains since there is enough margin for error allowed by the law in regard to trans fat, saturated fat etc. A lot of packets also provide information per cup serving or per 100 grams. In such cases it is essential to consider these values in terms of your consumption.
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*DON'T* SKIP MEALS:
Firstly skipping meals could lead to a lot of weakness and fragility. Apart from that, skipping meals leads to a reduction in TOR activity ie a key regulator of muscle growth cells. When you skip meals your muscle starts wasting away much faster than it normally would.The brain’s exclusive fuel ie glucose is compromised within 4-6 hours of not eating. Basically the glucose stored in the liver as glycogen runs out during this time period. When blood glucose dips too low the liver converts glycogen into glucose and releases it into the blood. But if this has depleted due to lack of food, the body and brain eventually run less efficiently. This could cause major brain drain and will hinder your productivity.
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EXERCISE:
Exercise is the most important and easiest way to burn calories. If you have time restraints you could burn these calories while doing daily household work! Cleaning the house for 2 hours or gardening for an hour and a half burns 500 calories. You could even get some exercise in while you take your kids out to play or when you walk your pet! If you can barely manage to get an hour’s worth of free time join an aerobics, zumba or spinning class. They’ll help you distress as well as burn off those calories without you even realizing how the time went by.
Based on this activity level, after subtracting 500 calories your new target (calories/day) would be 1425 which should result in roughly 500 gms of weight loss per week. Definitely if you increase your activity levels then you can expect more weight loss per week.
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BALANCE IS ESSENTIAL:
You cannot completely stop eating. Nor can you stop eating carbs and fat’s just to maintain a certain body weight. It’s essential to eat every type of food, just in balanced proportions. Try eating more vegetables and salad instead of rice or roti’s – here it is important to remember you need both to maintain a healthy balanced diet, so you can’t just skip the carbs. Another thing, you needn’t give up on your taste buds completely! Eat what you enjoy, just make sure you eat everything in a balance and you’re good to go. It won’t kill you to have a slice of pizza, or even satisfy your sweet tooth by having some dessert. Plus once you’ve had a little bit, you won’t crave it anymore – that instantly cuts down the possibility of overdosing on any unhealthy sin. Not only will you feel healthier and fitter, you’ll also manage to imbibe somewhat of a healthy lifestyle.
If you follow these small mantra’s on a daily basis, in no time they’ll seem totally natural to you. This way you need not make drastic changes in your routine, nor will you struggle with any eating disorders! It’s a win-win situation. For more details and information you can check out our other blogs or even contact Dr. Silky Mahajan for the same. Happy eating!
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